Jordan, Iraq and Egypt say Israeli strikes in Syria jeopardize regional stability

Smoke billows following Israeli strikes near the Syrian army and defence ministry headquarters in Damascus, July 16, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 16 July 2025
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Jordan, Iraq and Egypt say Israeli strikes in Syria jeopardize regional stability

  • Israel struck several locations in the Syrian southern region of Sweida and the capital Damascus this week
  • Jordanian Foreign Ministry said that Syria’s security is vital for regional stability

LONDON: Jordan, Iraq and Egypt condemned the Israeli strikes that targeted Syria this week, stating that these actions are a blatant violation of sovereignty and international law.

Israel struck Syrian forces and military vehicles as they approached the southern city of Sweida on Tuesday to restore stability after deadly clashes erupted in the region between the Druze sect and Bedouin tribes this week.

On Wednesday, Israel struck the Syrian government’s military headquarters in the capital, Damascus, as the Israeli prime minister and minister of defense said they were intervening to “protect” the Druze, who mainly live in Suweida.

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs condemned Israel’s airstrikes, saying that they represent a dangerous escalation that jeopardizes Syria’s stability and security.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Sufyan Qudah urged an immediate halt to the Israeli attacks, stressing the necessity of upholding Syria’s sovereignty and saying that Syria’s security is vital for regional stability.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns the repeated military interventions carried out by the Israeli occupation authorities, which represent a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty, and a threat to the stability of the region.”

Egypt also condemned the Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon, stating that such violations will heighten tensions and contribute to instability in the region.

On Tuesday, Israel conducted strikes in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon’s eastern region, resulting in the deaths of 12 people, according to Lebanese authorities. The Israeli military said that the attacks targeted the militant group Hezbollah.


Israeli military says unintentionally struck UN agency truck in Gaza

Updated 07 March 2026
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Israeli military says unintentionally struck UN agency truck in Gaza

  • “Our teams are taking extraordinary risks every day to keep humanitarian operations and life-sustaining services running,” UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva said in ⁠a statement, calling for an investigation ‌into the incident

TEL AVIV: Israel’s ‌military said on Friday that a “firing component” launched by its navy unintentionally struck a fuel truck belonging ​to a United Nations agency in Gaza the previous day, an incident that prompted the agency to publicly call for a full investigation.
The United Nations Office for Project Services, which oversees fuel distribution in Gaza, said that the empty fuel truck ‌was struck ‌on Thursday around 5 ​a.m. ‌from ⁠the ​direction of the ⁠sea, causing damage to the vehicle. There were no injuries.
“Our teams are taking extraordinary risks every day to keep humanitarian operations and life-sustaining services running,” UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva said in ⁠a statement, calling for an investigation ‌into the incident.
“They ‌should not have to do ​that under fire,” ‌he said.
In response to Reuters questions, ‌the Israeli military said that the incident occurred during defensive naval activity, and that a firing component deviated from its intended trajectory.
The fuel truck ‌sustained “minor damage,” the military said in a statement. The military did not ⁠say ⁠what type of munitions had been fired, or what had been the navy’s intended target.
“The incident was reviewed, and lessons were learned accordingly,” it said, without providing further details.
The fuel truck had been on its way to the Kerem Shalom crossing when it was struck, and the truck’s movements had been coordinated with Israeli ​authorities in advance, ​UNOPS said.